Reaching and gripping tool



Oct. 2, 1962 A. M. ANDERSON ETAL REACHING AND GRIPPING TOOL Filed Jan. 27, 1961 INVENTORJ' 4277/? M 44 25254 Aer/me L. 444052504 50 BY 477016/l/EYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,056,318 Patented Oct. 2, 1962 Idaho Filed Jan. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 85,399 Claims. (Cl. 81-112) This invention relates to improvements in tools for reaching and gripping articles in confined spaces, and more particularly to a novel tool of this kind which is especially designed for reaching and turning the valve caps on the valve stems of the tires of the inside wheels of dual automotive wheel assemblies.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a mechanically superior, efiicient, and easily operated tool of the kind indicated, which involves a pair of opposed divergent gripping fingers on the forward end of a rod, the rod being enclosed in a tubular casing which is movable forwardly along the rod for compressing the fingers toward each other by, in eifect, pulling the fingers rearwardly into the casing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tool of the character indicated above which has a tubular housing, which is slidable and rotatable on the casing, and which is secured to the rod and is adapted to be used as a relatively stationary handle, when using the tool.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tool of the character indicated above which has locking means, acting between the housing and the casing, for locking the casing in extended relation to the housing, against rotation of the casing and the rod relative to the housing, in either direction.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a tool of the present invention, showing the gripping fingers in extended and spread positions;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a contrasted side elevation of FIGURE 1, showing the fingers in retracted and compressed po sitions, relative to an article;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are enlarged transverse sections taken on the lines 4-4 and 55, respectively, of FIG- URE l; and

FIGURE 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary,longitudinal section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated tool comprises an elongated straight tubular casing 10 having a sidewall 12, an open rear end 14, and an open forward end 16. A tubular housing 18, substantially shorter than the casing Ill, is slidably and rotatably circumposed on the rear end of the casing 10. The housing 18 has a sidewall 20, an open forward end 22, and an open rear end 24, the sidewall 20 being formed with internal screw threads 26 located adjacent to and reaching to the rear end 24.

The sidewall 20 of the housing 18 is formed with a T-shaped slot which is composed of an elongated, straight guiding portion 28, which opens, at its rear end, to the rear end 24 of the housing, and, at its forward end, opens to the middle of a transverse locking portion 30, which is spaced from the forward end 22 of the housing 18. A radial pin 32 is suitably fixed, as indicated at 34, to and extends outwardly from the sidewall 12 of the casing 10, at a location close to the rear end 14 of the casing 10, and is engaged through the slot.

The tool further comprises a plug 36 which is threaded into the rear end 24 of the housing 18, and which is adapted to abut the rear end 14 of the casing 10', in the extended position of the casing 10 relative to the housing 18. The plug 36 is provided with an axial smooth bore 38 through which a smooth rod 40 is slidably engaged.

The rod 40 is somewhat shorter than the casing 10, and has fixed or formed, on its rear end, a combined handle and hanging loop 42, preferably in the form of a circular ring, as shown, which bears against a reduced diameter boss 44, on the rear end of the plug 36. A fixed collar 46 on the rod bears against the forward end of the plug 36, in opposition to the ring 42, so as to eliminate end play between the rod 40 and the plug 36.

The rod 40 has a forward end 48 which is spaced rearwardly from the forward end 16 of the casing 10, and a pair of resilient fingers 50, of substantial rigidity, are secured to opposite sides of the rod 40, and extend beyond its forward end 48. The fingers 50 are elongated convexconcave channe'l forms which are longitudially curved, between their ends, so as to be in divergent relation to each other. At their rear ends, the concave sides of the fingers are conformably engaged with opposite sides of the rod 40, for limited distances, and are suitably fixed to the rod, as by means of a headed rivet 52, extending diametrically through the rod and through rear end portions of the fingers 50, as shown in detail in FIGURE 6.

The rod 40, and the fingers '50 are prevented from rotating, relative to the casing 10, by a cap 54 which is suitably fixed on the forward end 16 of the casing 10. The cap 54 has a Web 56 which, as shown in FIGURE 5, is formed with a pair of similar and diametrically spaced and opposed semi-circular openings 58, through which the fingers 50 individually slide.

In operation, for reaching and gripping an otherwise inaccessible article A, the tool is held in one hand, by means of the housing 18, and with the other hand holding the casing 10, the fingers 50 are reached to and disposed at opposite sides of the article, with the pin 32 located in the longitudinal guiding portion 30 of the housing slot. In order to compress the fingers 50 toward each other, for gripping the article A therebetween, the housing 18 is then moved rearwardly along the casing 10, or the casing moved forwardly relative to the housing 18, so that the edges of the cap openings 58 cam the fingers 50 toward each other, by being drawn rearwardly through the openings 58, as an incident to rearward movement of the rod 40, relative to the casing 10, produced by the relative endwise movements of the housing 18 and the casing 10.

As the pin 32 reaches the forward end of the guiding slot portion 23, the fingers 50 are under the maximum intended compression toward each other and grip the opposite sides of the article A. In order to lock the housing 18 and the casing 10, relative to each other, and hence to lock the fingers 50 in their grip on the article A, the pin 32 is moved out of the guiding slot portion 28 into the transverse locking slot portion 30, whereby the tension of the fingers 50 cannot move the casing and the housing endwise relative to each other and relax the grip of the fingers on the article A.

If the article A, such as a tire valve cap, is to be rotated in a direction to screw the same onto a valve stem (not shown) the pin 32 is positioned in the locking slot portion 30, at one end thereof. If the article is to be rotated in the opposite direction, as for screwing off a valve cap from a valve stem, the pin 32 is positioned at the other end of the locking slot portion 30. The positioning of the pin 32 at ends of the slot portion 30', prevent rotation of the casing 10 relative to the housing 18, in the proper directions and connect the casing and the housing for rotation together.

To relax and spread the fingers 50 and disengage them from a gripped article, the casing and the housing are separately held and are rotated relative to each other, in a direction to move the pin 32 along the locking slot portion 30, into the guide portion 28, whereat the casing 10 is released, so that the spreading tension of the fingers i) can move the casing into the housing 18, and the pin 32 rearwardly along the slot guide portion 30.

The tool can be used also for picking up small articles from inaccessible locations.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool of the character described, comprising a tubular casing having open forward and rear ends, a tubular housing shorter than said casing, said housing being rotatably and slidably circumposed on the casing, at the rear end of the casing, a rod shorter than and extending through the casing, said rod having a rear end and a forward end, the forward end of the rod being spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the casing, means fixing the rod, at its rear end to the housing, at the rear end of the housing, and a pair of opposed resilient article gripping fingers fixed on opposite sides of the rod, at the forward end of the rod, said fingers having divergent forward terminal ends which are tensioned away from each other, and whose spread is greater than the bore of the casing and which extend forwardly beyond the forward end of the casing, said fingers having rear end portions located within and engaged with the sidewall of the easing, said means comprising a plug secured in the open rear end of the housing, said plug having an axial bore through which the rod extends, a handle on the rear end of the rod engaging the rear end of the plug, and a collar fixed on the rod and engaging the forward end of the plug.

2. A tool of the character described, comprising a tubular casing having open forward and rear ends, a tubular housing shorter than said casing, said housing being rotatably and slidably circumposed on the casing, at the rear end of the casing, a rod shorter than and extending through the casing, said rod having a rear end and a forward end, the forward end of the rod being spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the casing, means fixing the rod, at its rear end to the housing, at the rear end of the housing, and a pair of opposed resilient article gripping fingers fixed on opposite sides of the rod, at the forward end of the rod, said fingers having divergent forward terminal ends which .are tensioned away from each other, and whose spread is greater than the bore of the casing and which extend forwardly beyond the forward end of the casing, said fingers having rear end portions located within and engaged with the sidewall of the easing, said means comprising a plug secured in the open rear end of the housing, said plug having an axial bore through which the rod extends, a handle on the rear end of the rod engaging the rear end of the plug, and a collar fixed on the rod and engaging the forward end of the plug, the rod being concentrically spaced from the sidewall of the casing.

3. A tool of the character described, comprising a tubular casing having open forward and rear ends, a tubular housing shorter than said casing, said housing being rotatably and slidably circnmposed on the casing, at the rear end of the casing, a rod shorter than and extending through the casing, said rod having a rear end and a forward end, the forward end of the rod being spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the casing, first means fixing the rod, .at its rear end to the housing, at the rear end of the housing, and a pair of opposed resilient artlcle gripping fingers fixed on opposite sides of the rod, at the forward end of the rod, said fingers having divergent forward terminal ends which are tensioned away from each other, and whose spread is greater than the bore of the casing and which extend forwardly beyond the forward end of the casing, said fingers having rear end portions located within and engaged with the sidewall of the casing, and second means acting between the housing and the casing for locking the housing and the casing together against relative rotation, in one direction, and against relative endwise movements only when the casing is in a forwardly extending position relative to the housing, wherein the fingers are compressed toward each other for gripping an article therebetween.

4. A tool of the character described, comprising a tubular casing having open forward and rear ends, a tubular housing shorter than said casing, said housing being rotatably and slidably circumposed on the casing, at the rear end of the casing, a rod shorter than and extending through the casing, said rod having a rear end and a forward end, the forward end of the rod being spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the casing, means fixing the rod, at its rear end to the housing, at the rear end of the housing, and a pair of opposed resilient article gripping fingers fixed on opposite sides of the rod, at the forward end of the rod, said fingers having divergent forward ends which are tensioned away from each other, and whose spread is greater than the bore of the casing and which extend forwardly beyond the forward end of the casing, said fingers having rear end portions located within and engaged with the sidewall of the casing, the sidewall of said housing being formed with a T-shaped slot composed of a longitudinal guiding portion and a transverse locking portion at and opening to the forward end of the guiding portion, said locking portion having closed ends at opposite sides of the guiding portion, and a pin fixed to and projecting from said casing, at the rear end of the casing, and engaged in the slot.

5. A tool of the character described comprising a tubular casing having forward and rear ends, a tubular housing shorter than and rotatably and slidably surrounding the casing at the rear end of the casing, means closing the rear end of the housing and having an external handle thereon, a rod fixed to and extending forwardly from said means and forwardly in the casing, said rod being smaller in diameter than the casing, a pair of opposed resilient fingers having rear portions fixed to opposite sides of the rod and bearing against the sidewall of the casing, said fingers having divergent forward terminal end portions extending out of the forward end of the casing, said casing having a lateral pin adjacent its rear end, and the sidewall of the housing having a T-slot in which said pin is engaged for limiting forward extension of the casing relative to the housing, said T-slot having a cross head into which the pin can be engaged by rotating the casing relative to the housing for locking the easing in a forwardly extended position wherein said divergent portions of the fingers are compressed toward each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Niblock Mar. 31, 1925 Sampson Jan. 5, 1932 Marshall Oct. 31, 1950 Vertin Dec. 5, 1950 Elliott Feb. 12, 1952 Deliso Dec. 2, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 23, 1894 

